Oliver Quimby Melton Jr., died February 7 at his home just five days before his 91st birthday. He is survived by his wife of 69 years, May Melton; a son, Quimby Melton III; three daughters, Mary Forehand, Laura Geiger, co-publisher of The Herald-Gazette in Barnesville and The Journal-Reporter in Zebulon, and Leila Stone.

UPDATED ARRANGEMENTS: Visitation Saturday, February 9 from 3-5 p.m. at the Melton home at 1940 South 6th Street in Griffin or Sunday, February 10 from 2-3 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of First United Methodist Church in Griffin with a memorial service following at 3 p.m. in the church sanctuary.

Melton was the longtime editor and publisher of the Griffin Daily News which his father purchased on February 1, 1925.

He also published weekly newspapers in Barnesville, Zebulon, Fayetteville, McDonough, Forsyth, Hampton and Jackson and operated a printing facility in Barnesville. He edited and published over 16,000 newspaper editions.

He was active in the Georgia Press Association and served as its president in 1955-56.

Melton served 14 years in the Georgia House of Representatives, representing Spalding and Fayette counties. He chaired both the House Education and Ways and Means committees. No legislation raising taxes passed committee under his six-year leadership.

He was the Griffin Exchange Club's Man of the Year in 1958 and Georgia's Citizen of the Year in 1955.

An acknowledged historian, Melton did extensive research on Griffin. Among the books he published were two volumes, the 'History of Griffin', which include information about Griffin's founder, Gen. Lewis Lawrence Griffin. Melton was named the first symbolic General Griffin, an annual designation.

An advocate for civil rights, Melton won the Georgia Press Association's most fearless editorial award for one he wrote in opposition of the formation in Griffin of a white supremacist group. This led to a resolution in the Georgia Legislature to abolish the paper "as a public nuisance." The resolution failed to pass, and the organization failed to form.

In the 1960s a young black woman telephoned him one night and said crosses were being burned from time to time in her section of Griffin and frightening her baby so that it could not sleep. He wrote and published an editorial saying that cross burnings should not be allowed and children should not be frightened by such. A few nights later a cross was burned in his own yard.

When segregationists sought to close Georgia's schools rather than integrate them Melton successfully fought to keep them open.

Melton attended Griffin schools and graduated from Baylor School in Chattanooga. He received his bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Georgia. He later attended Woodrow Wilson College of Law at night, earned his law degree and passed the bar examination on his first attempt.

Immediately after graduating from UGA, he attended the Army Cavalry School at Ft. Riley, Kansas where he was commissioned a second lieutenant. Mr. Melton served with the mechanized cavalry in World War II, seeing action in New Guinea and at the Battle of Luzon in the Philippines. He landed early on during the invasion of Luzon and was wounded several weeks later. He was awarded the Purple Heart.

His younger brother and only sibling, Frederick Davenport Melton, also served in the Mechanized Cavalry and was killed by a sniper in Germany.

He served as a member of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia from 1955-60. He helped Gordon Military College become a unit of the University System and was a member of the Gordon Foundation, serving as its chairman for a decade.

His body was donated to Emory University School of Medicine for research.

In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to First United Methodist Church of Griffin and its Men's Bible Class.

All those accomplishments, and he was a gracious man to boot.
I heard of him long before I had the pleasure of meeting him. I heard wonderful stories from some newspaper men who had few complimentary words to say of anyone else. But they respected and cared deeply for Mr. Melton.
My sincere sympathy for his loved ones. They must know how blessed they are to be part of the Melton family. His sweetness will live on in his survivors.
The Lord has welcomed Mr. Melton.

Mr. Melton was a wonderful, remarkable gentleman. He always greeted us at the office with a smile and a warm heart. I have missed seeing him grace our office. I pray for Mr. Melton's family as they will go through so many emotions. May God continue to shine upon you and heal your hearts. All are in my thoughts and prayers!

I read many of Mr. Melton's articles and editorials as I was in my youth. He told it like it was and never flinched. I admired his writing's and never thought I would ever write some day for his daughter and son-in-law. Our world needs more Quimby Melton's. The word Icon is not enough to describe what this man has accomplished in 90 years. He was and always will be the definition of a true 'Southern Gentleman'. I would sometimes run across Mr. & Mrs. Melton in the grocery store and they would talk with me with such sincerity and love. What a great human being he was.

I can still remember the long-ago sound of Mr. Melton's typewriter as he wrote his columns every week, handing them to me to reset into the computer system. I learned more about my trade from him than any journalism teacher could have taught me. I'm going to miss his happy whistling as well as his wisdom. What a great Southern gentleman he was!

Mr. Melton was not only an accomplished man but a courageous one. A truly great news man and public figure with integrity. I wish I could have known him personally. Thanks to Walter Geiger for another meaningful eulogy. I pray God's comfort on his wife, daughters, and the rest of his family.

I forgot to say thank you Sir for your service to this country as I love and respect all patriots who have served as Freedom is not free. God bless and comfort all your family is my prayer! I once knew Quimby III in Boy Scouts at Camp Thunder along time ago.

To know him was to love and respect this Kind and Quiet Gentlemen.We all can be proud of Quimby and his lovely wife May. The way he raised his family is a beacon for all of us to follow. I am quite sure he had some of the same probelms we all experience but the way he handled them was his gift for us to follow. Always a champion of the poor, always a positive attitude in his daily life. Never a cross word did I hear him utter when I was in his company socially.There are more like him I know but in today's fast paced world they are hard to identify but identify we must. God received a great soldier when he received Quimby. I can see him now Riding his favorite horse to the pearly gates and passing on thru with a strong salute and smile While St. Peter gives him permission to enter. There are all his friends and relatives saying welcome we have been awaiting your arrival. I was pleased to have known him and will respect his name and his family always.
David Maskell

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